Ghana Facts.

A progressive economy and democratic stability are two things that make Ghana one of the success stories in West Africa. Aside from its fast- paced development, the country is also blessed with a lush geography teeming with diverse wildlife, pleasant people, majestic beaches, energetic cities and a rich culture which defined the city as it is today. In fact, the country of Ghana is also as historical as it gets, with coastal forts and practices that date back. Travelers who are visiting Africa for the first time should experience Ghana first since it serves as an introduction to the wonders of the continent.

Important and Interesting Facts about Ghana

Ghana is the 82nd largest country in the world and 33rd largest country on continental Africa by land mass.

Ghana is the 7th-best governed country, 5th-most stable country and rated thirteenth-highest HDI on continental Africa. Ghana’s economy is the 6th-largest on the Africa continent by purchasing power parity and Nominal GDP and is one of the fastest growing in the world.

Ghana is located on the west coast of Africa, approximately midway between Senegal and Cameroon. It is bordered by Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Burkina Faso, Togo, and the Atlantic Ocean. The land surface of 92,100 square miles (238,540 square kilometers) is dominated by the ancient Precambrian shield, which is rich in mineral resources, such as gold and diamonds.

Lake Volta in Ghana is the world’s largest artificial lake by surface area (8,482 sq km; 3,275 sq mi)

Ghanas highest point is Mount Afadjato (885 m)

Cocoa is grown by relatively small-scale indigenous farmers in the forest zone and is exclusively a commercial crop. It is locally marketed through private licensed traders and exported through a public marketing board. Gold is produced by international conglomerates with some Ghanaian partnership. Much of the income from this trade is invested outside the country.

Accra has a mixture of modern buildings, shanty towns, occasional castle and lively markets. The central hub is around the Makola Market; just south of the market is the Atlantic Ocean.

Ghana has some lovely beaches but the most popular for the last decade has been the beaches around Kokrobite including Langma. Kokrobite is a quick 20 mile (30km) tro-tro ride away from the capital Accra. One of the main attractions here is the excellent Academy of African Music and Art (AAMA) founded by master drummer Mustapha Tettey Addy. The Academy attracts drummers and dancers from all over the world.

The Kintampo waterfalls located on the Kumasi-Kintampo highway provides a panoramic scene and superbly display the beauty of nature.

Mole National Park is Ghana’s largest wildlife refuge.The park is located in northwest Ghana on grassland savanna and riparian ecosystems at an elevation of 150m, with sharp escarpment forming the southern boundary of the park.

Cool, Funny, and Fun Facts about Ghana

People really do carry things in their heads…food, wood, water, generators, everything. Their posture is fantastic. But almost no-one wears a hat.

Children, however, are allowed lollies and it seems fine to eat them in class

Many people live without refrigeration, but they will pay to keep a body in the morgue for several months so an appropriate funeral can be arranged.

Parts of Ghana have extraordinary coffins…cocoa bean shaped coffins, boats, fish, houses; whatever was significant in that persons life.

Most stores have religious names…’God is great babering shop’, or moral names like ‘No food for lazy man carpentry’, ‘Psalm 23 hairdresser’. Bill has taken this to heart and is the proud manager of the ‘God is the Saviour Exploration Laboratory’.

Cheese is not very popular – and in some cases unknown.

The majority of women have false hair extensions, or wear wigs!Despite this, ‘rasta’ hair is not allowed at school.

Woman put eyeliner on their babies and draw in their eyebrows to make them look pretty.It’s also not uncommon to find young men wearing eyeliner and it’s not considered gay.

Instead of using a toothbrush brush to brush their teeth, many people in the village chew on sticks and use it like a toothbrush to clean their teeth

Because garbage pick-up is non-existent in many places, people burn their garbage.

Historical and Cultural Facts About Ghana

Before March 1957 Ghana was called the Gold Coast. The Portuguese who came to Ghana in the 15th Century found so much gold between the rivers Ankobra and the Volta that they named the place Mina – meaning Mine. The Gold Coast was later adopted to by the English colonisers. Similarily, the French, equally impressed by the trinkets worn by the coastal people, named The Ivory Coast, Cote d’Ivoire.

In 1821, the British Government took control of the British trading forts on the Gold Coast. In 1844, Fanti chiefs in the area signed an agreement with the British that became the legal steppingstone to colonial status for the coastal area. From 1826 to 1900, the British fought a series of campaigns against the Ashantis (specifically the 1st Ashanti War 1863-64 and the 2nd Ashanti War 1873-74), whose kingdom was located inland. In 1902, they succeeded in establishing firm control over the Ashanti region and making the northern territories a protectorate.

Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence.

The volume of the slave trade in West Africa grew rapidly from its inception around 1500 to its peak in the eighteenth century. Philip Curtin, a leading authority on the African slave trade, estimates that roughly 6.3 million slaves were shipped from West Africa to North America and South America, about 4.5 million of that number between 1701 and 1810.

In 1821, the British Government took control of the British trading forts on the Gold Coast. In 1844, Fanti chiefs in the area signed an agreement with the British that became the legal steppingstone to colonial status for the coastal area. From 1826 to 1900, the British fought a series of campaigns against the Ashantis (specifically the 1st Ashanti War 1863-64 and the 2nd Ashanti War 1873-74), whose kingdom was located inland. In 1902, they succeeded in establishing firm control over the Ashanti region and making the northern territories a protectorate.

Although Ghana is primarily a rural country, urbanization has a long tradition within indigenous and modern society. In the south the traditional settlement was a nucleated townsite that served as a king’s or a chief’s administrative base and housed the agricultural population, political elite, and occupational specialists.

The basic diet consists of a starchy staple eaten with a soup or stew. Forest crops, such as plantain, cassava, cocoyam (taro), and tropical yams, predominate in the south. Corn is significant, especially among the Ga, and rice is also popular. The main dish is fufu, pounded plantain or tubers in combination with cassava.

Its good manners to shake hands from the right of a group to the left.

The most important rituals revolve around the cycle of ancestral and royal observances. The main form is the adae ceremony, in which prayers are made to the ancestors through the medium of carved stools that they owned in their lifetimes.

Aside from the major Christian and Islamic holidays, Ghana celebrates New Year’s Day, Independence Day (6 March), Worker’s Day (1 May), Republic Day (1 July), and Revolution Day (31 December). New Year’s Day follows the usually western pattern of partying. Independence Day is the main national holiday celebrating freedom from colonial rule and is marked by parades and political speeches. The remaining holidays are also highly politicized and provide forums for speeches by the major national leaders. Revolution Day is especially important for the ruling party as it marks the anniversary of Rawlings’ coup.

The smock and Kente cloth are the national dress of Ghana. Kente cloth originated in the southern region of Ghana.The smock is made of handloomed strips of Kente fabric that are three to four inches in width. The strips are sewn together by hand or machine giving the smock a plaid appearance.